Richard Lewis Dies: ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Star Was 76

UPDATED (4:55pm ET):

Larry David is honoring his friend (and Curb Your Enthusiasm costar) Richard Lewis after the news of the late comedian’s death broke.

The statement from David was shared by HBO, per Variety, reading, “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me. He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I’ll never forgive him.”

ORIGINAL STORY (4:01pm ET):

Curb Your Enthusiasm star and famed comedic standup performer Richard Lewis has died at the age of 76.

His publicist confirmed his death. The comedian had been living with Parkinson’s disease, a diagnosis that he revealed publicly in April 2023.

Lewis’s death was shared on social media by Bette Midler, who posted, “On a sad note, the great Richard Lewis has died.” In response to Midler’s post, Steve Martin commented, “Great Sadness.” Known for being one of the most prolific comics of the last century, Lewis has been making viewers laugh as he’s played a fictional version of himself in Curb episodes.

On a sad note, the great Richard Lewis has died.

— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) February 28, 2024

The news comes just days after Lewis appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s 12th and final season at HBO, in which he and his pal Larry David ironically discussed their final wills. The installment, “Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug,” which aired February 18, 2024, saw Lewis and David hit the golf course together one last time.

Born June 29, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, Richard Lewis grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, where he met David at a summer camp at the age of 12. Lewis made his TV debut at the age of 17 on Candid Camera and ultimately went on to star in many films and television series.

(Credit: Doug Hyun / ©HBO / courtesy Everett Collection)

Along with Curb, his TV credits include Anything But Love, Daddy Dearest, Alias, The Simpsons,  Hiller and Diller, 7th Heaven, and Blunt Talk, among others. Lewis’s career also extended into film with memorable roles in Mel Brooks’ beloved film Robin Hood: Men in Tights, in which he played Prince John, as well as a part in the more dramatic title, Leaving Las Vegas.

As part of his standup career on TV, Lewis helmed three notable cable specials coined the “Trilogy from Hell,” which included 1985’s I’m in Pain, 1988’s I’m Exhausted, and 1990’s I’m Doomed. In addition to his performances, Lewis was also a published author, as he released The Other Great Depression in 2000. The memoir chronicled his struggles with drugs and alcohol.